diff --git a/.eslintrc.js b/.eslintrc.js
index 522ce82..e03c58d 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/.eslintrc.js
@@ -137,6 +137,6 @@ module.exports = {
     // flow
     "flowtype/no-dupe-keys": "error",
     "flowtype/no-weak-types": "warn",
-    "flowtype/require-variable-type": "warn"
+    "flowtype/require-variable-type": "off" // wait for https://github.com/gajus/eslint-plugin-flowtype/issues/198 to be resolved
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/components/App.js b/src/components/App.js
index 671fb62..45508f5 100644
--- a/src/components/App.js
+++ b/src/components/App.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export type AppState = {
   selectedControl: ?Control,
   drawerOpened: boolean,
   mqttState: State,
-  mqttSend: (topic: string, value: any) => void,
+  mqttSend: (topic: string, value: Actual) => void,
   mqttConnected: boolean,
 };
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class App extends React.Component<AppProps & Classes, AppState> {
     this.setState({drawerOpened: false});
   }
 
-  changeState(topic: string, value: any) {
+  changeState(topic: string, value: Actual) {
     const rawTopic = this.props.config.topics[topic].command;
     if (rawTopic == null) {
       return;
diff --git a/src/components/UiItemList/UiItem.js b/src/components/UiItemList/UiItem.js
index 983495d..182017c 100644
--- a/src/components/UiItemList/UiItem.js
+++ b/src/components/UiItemList/UiItem.js
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ import keyOf from "utils/keyOf";
 type UiItemProps<I> = {
   item: I,
   state: State,
-  onChangeState: (topic: string, nextState: any) => void
+  onChangeState: (topic: string, nextState: Actual) => void
 };
 
+// eslint-disable-next-line flowtype/no-weak-types
 export default class UiItem<I:Object> extends React.Component<UiItemProps<I>> {
   constructor(props: UiItemProps<I>) {
     super(props);
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ export class UiControl<I: UIControl> extends UiItem<I> {
     super(props);
   }
 
-  changeState(next: any) {
+  changeState(next: Actual) {
     if (this.props.item.topic == null) {
       throw new Error(
         `Missing topic in ${this.props.item.type} "${this.props.item.text}"`
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ export class Toggle extends UiControl<UIToggle> {
 }
 
 export class DropDown extends UiControl<UIDropDown> {
-  runPrimaryAction = (next?: any) => {
+  runPrimaryAction = (next?: Actual) => {
     if (this.isEnabled()) {
       const control = this.props.item;
       const keys = _.keys(control.options);
diff --git a/src/components/UiItemList/index.js b/src/components/UiItemList/index.js
index f089113..d393ba3 100644
--- a/src/components/UiItemList/index.js
+++ b/src/components/UiItemList/index.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { Toggle, DropDown, Link, Section, Text } from "./UiItem";
 export type UiItemListProps = {
   controls: Array<ControlUI>,
   state: State,
-  onChangeState: (topic: string, nextState: any) => void
+  onChangeState: (topic: string, nextState: Actual) => void
 };
 
 export default class UiItemList extends React.Component<UiItemListProps> {
diff --git a/src/utils/parseIconName.js b/src/utils/parseIconName.js
index 98e82ac..5b3e249 100644
--- a/src/utils/parseIconName.js
+++ b/src/utils/parseIconName.js
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
 // @flow
-import React from "react";
+import * as React from "react";
 import _ from "lodash";
+import { getInternals, getActuals } from "utils/state";
 
 export default function parseIconName(name: string): string {
   return `mdi ${name.split(" ").map((icon) => "mdi-".concat(icon)).join(" ")}`;
 }
 
-export const renderIcon = (name: string, extraClass?: string) => {
+export const renderIcon = (name: string, extraClass?: string): React.Node => {
   return <i className={`${extraClass || ""} ${parseIconName(name)}`}></i>;
 };
 
 export const controlGetIcon = (control: Control, state: State): string => {
-  const internals = _.mapValues(state, (x) => x.internal || x.actual);
-  const actuals = _.mapValues(state, (x) => x.actual);
+  const internals: Map<string, Internal> = getInternals(state);
+  const actuals: Map<string, Actual> = getActuals(state);
   return typeof control.icon !== "function" ? control.icon
     : control.icon(internals, actuals, state);
 };
 
 export const renderControlIcon = (control: Control,
-  state: State, extraClass?: string) => {
+  state: State, extraClass?: string): React.Node => {
   return renderIcon(controlGetIcon(control, state), extraClass);
 };
diff --git a/types/types.js b/types/types.js
index d9b7785..8dba59b 100644
--- a/types/types.js
+++ b/types/types.js
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ declare type Space = {
   mqtt: string
 };
 
+declare type Internal = string;
+declare type Actual = any;
 declare type StateValue = {
   internal: string,
   actual: any